This miso soup is much like the classic version you find in Japanese restaurants, with some added vegetables. Miso is a highly nutritious fermented bean and grain paste; you can find it in Japanese markets and at whole foods stores.
2 cups dashi (Japanese broth) or water
2 tablespoons dark miso paste
1 small carrot, peeled and cut in matchsticks or very thinly sliced
4 medium or 2 large mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and very thinly sliced
4 to 6 ounces (to taste) firm silken tofu, cut in 1/4 inch dice
1 scallion, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped watercress or baby spinach
2 teaspoons snipped chives
1. Warm the dashi or water in a medium saucepan. Place the miso in a bowl, and ladle in about 1/2 cup of the warm dashi or water. Mix with a fork or whisk until the miso is well blended.
2. Bring the remaining broth or water to a simmer (not a boil), and add the dissolved miso. Mix together but do not allow to boil. Add the carrots, mushrooms, tofu, scallion and watercress or spinach. Bring to a simmer, and remove from the heat. Serve, garnishing each bowl with chives.
Yield: Serves two
Advance preparation: The ingredients can be prepared hours in advance. The soup is last-minute.
Recipe # 2
Soft Tacos With Scrambled Tofu and Tomatoes
Soft tofu makes a wonderful stand-in for scrambled eggs. Serve these savory tacos for a great Mexican and vegan breakfast.
1 14-ounce can tomatoes, drained
2 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 serrano or jalapeño chile, seeded if desired and chopped (more if you like things really hot)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 small or 1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon lightly toasted cumin seeds, ground
Salt to taste
1 12-ounce box medium or firm silken tofu, drained
Soy sauce to taste
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
8 corn tortillas
Salsa
1. Combine the tomatoes, garlic and chile in a blender, and blend until smooth.
2. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high, and add the cumin. Stir together, and when the pan is quite hot, pour in the blended tomato mixture. It should sizzle. Cook, stirring, about five minutes, until the sauce is thick, dark and fragrant, and your spoon leaves a canal when you run it down the center of the pan. Add salt to taste.
3. Add the tofu to the pan, and mash it into the sauce using the back of your spoon. Add the soy sauce, and continue to cook for another five minutes, stirring and mashing the tofu. Stir in the cilantro. Taste and adjust seasonings.
4. Heat the tortillas and place two on each plate. Top with the tofu mixture and serve, passing salsa on the side.
Yield: Serves four
Advance preparation: Unlike scrambled eggs, scrambled tofu keeps well for a couple of days. You can reheat it — I even like to eat this dish cold for a quick lunch.
